1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical apparatus provided with an image pickup apparatus, which is configured to be introduced in a body for observing a region to be examined.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, endoscope apparatuses, which are medical apparatuses, include an image pickup apparatus and are configured to be introduced into a body cavity of a patient to carry out various kinds of examination, treatment and the like of a diseased part in the body based on observed images photographed by the image pickup apparatus.
Endoscopes for medical use include an endoscope of a type configured to be introduced into digestive organs such as esophagus, stomach, large intestine, duodenum, and the like, which are tube cavities in a body, from the oral cavity or the anus, and an endoscope of a type configured to be introduced into an abdominal cavity by puncturing the body wall from near the umbilical region and penetrating through the body wall. Conventional endoscopes have an elongated insertion portion, and the insertion portion is inserted into a digestive tract or an abdominal cavity. In recent years, there have been also known medical apparatuses which include no insertion portion and which are provided with an image pickup apparatus for observing a region to be examined in a body.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-72367 discloses a medical apparatus which includes: a medical instrument configured to be fixed to a body wall in a body cavity and including an image pickup section; and a posture control section for moving a posture of the medical instrument from the extracorporeal side. In the conventional medical apparatus, there is disclosed a technology for changing a field of view direction of the image pickup section by changing the posture of the medical instrument fixed to the body wall in a non-contact fashion by a magnetic force of a magnet by operating the posture control section.
Furthermore, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-12222 discloses a medical apparatus which includes a medical instrument configured to be fixed to a body wall in a body cavity by a fixing section and having an image pickup section. In the conventional medical apparatus, there is disclosed a technology for varying an illumination direction of an illumination section with respect to the field of view direction of the image pickup section of the medical instrument.